Method of and apparatus for printing pile fabrics



March 31, 1931. A F MCQQLLUM 1,799,111

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING FILE FABRICS Original Filed Dec. 19. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 31, 1931. F MCCOLLUM 1,799,111

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING FILE FABRICS Original Filed Dec. 19. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 imwyaw Patented Mar. 31 1931 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFPQICE mam) I iaccomuu, or amousmma, rmmvmnssrouoa we ran mom:

canrnr 00., or nnoomsnm, rmsnvmn, 'n conrom'rron or rmmsn- VANIA Original application filed December 19, 1927, Serial No. 241,082. Divided and mi 17, 1929. Serial 1V0.'368,988.

This invention relates to improvements in methods of and apparatus for printing pile fabrics, and has a particularly valuable application to the printing of rugs and carpets.

The principal object of the invention is to provide simple and highly efiicient means for printing pile fabrics that will afford a printed design that will have to a greater degree than is obtainable by prior methods the desirable characteristics of a woven design.

To this end the invention contemplates the provision of printing means of novel form capable of printing a design on pile fabrics uniformly colored throughout and entirely free from unevenness of texture ;in which the dye substance extends completely to the bottom of the pile if desired and having a sharp and clearly defined outline which extends straight down through'the pile on a plane substantially perpendicular to the base of the fabric.

More specifically, -the invention contemplates the provision of a novel form of print- 1n elementadapted for the printing of pile fa%rics with the desirable results specified above. v

The invention further resides in the provision of a finished product in the form of a printed pile fabric in which the printed desi rompares favorably as outlined above with the product of a Jacquard machine.

In the attached drawings:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a printing element made in accordance with my invention; v Fig. 2 is aragmentary enlargement showing the deta s of one of the active printing areas Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and '5 are fragmentary enlargements,similar to that of Fig. 2 illustrating modifications within the scope of the invention; i Y

Fig. 6 is a face view of a pile fabric printed in accordance with the present invention,

and i Y Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7, Fig. 6.

With reference to the drawings, the printing element which constitutes a part of the present invention and which in the illustrated embodiment takes the form of a block may .mnon or n humans FOB ramming. rmn names areas conforming in shape to the design which it is desired to impose upon the pile fabric. In Fig. 1 for example, I have illustrated a block 1 in whichthese elevated printing surfaces 2 take the form of 'uniformly spaced rectangles. The depth of these elevated sectlons will depend to'some extent upon the depth of the pile, but for all ordinary purposes, a depth'of of an inch will be found satisfactory.

A face view of one of these effective print ing areas 2 is shown in Fig. 2, and as clearly Illustrated in this figure and in the sectional view of Figure 3, the surface of this section application fled lay have one or more elevated effective 4 is broken up into a series of relatively small pyramidal projections these small yramids being distributed uniformly over ti surface. It will further be noted by reference particularly to Fig. 3, that this printing surface is bounded by acontinuous and clearly defined wall '3 which preferably and as shown is so formed as to present at the top a relatively sharp or knife edge which also in a preferred embodiment projects sli htly above the tops of the pyramids. vvVllile the height ofthe pyramids will vary to some extent accordin to the depth of the pile with which the bloc is to be used, a height of of an inch with approximately sixtyfour oftheyramidal projections r square inch of, su ace will be found suita le for all ordinary depths of pile. The height of the face area, however, may be varied considerably as the requirements demand.

A printing surface constituted as described above has been found highly desirable in the printi of pile fabrics. The pyramidal recessed ace is ca able of penetrating the pile to any desired extent, and the dye held in the recesses and confined by the boundary wall 3 is deposited in quantities suflicient to thoroughly saturate the entire pile and even the base warp if desired. Further, the distribution of the dyestuif is practically uniform so that the printed areas are entirely free from unevenness and irregularitiesof color, and in this respect the patterns compare favorably with the woven dee entire signs produced on the Jacquard and like machmes. Also the knife ed ed boundary wall 3 so restricts the flow of fye at the edges of the block as to give a clear definition at the edges of the printed desi comparing favorably with that obtaina le by any of the known and more expensive weaving methods and which like the latter extend in a clearly defined plane substantially perpendicular to the base fabric from the top of the pile to the bottom. By means of this block, therefore, I have foundit possible to provide a printed rug having an entirely clear cut and finely defined design and in which each individual .pile thread or tuft is uniformly colored throughout its length, and in which the colored areas are entirely uniform. I have, therefore, provided by the aforedescribed procedure a pile fabric having all the desirable characteristics of the more expensive article formed on the Jacquard machine and which is even superior to the Jacquard prodr uct by reason of the fact that the vehicle of the dye, which may be starch, flour or similar material, flowing to the extreme base of the pile and even into the base warp expands the yarn both of the pile and base, and by this expansion as well as by, the adhesive properties'inherent in the vehicle binds the pile threads in the base and gives an added strength anddurability not obtainable inthe other t pe of product.

Whi e the pyramidal surface described above is preferred, it will be understood that any type of uniformly rough or recessed surface surrounded by a continuous bounding wall higher than the surrounding surfaces may be used with some degree of success in the practice of this invention, since-with the elevated boundary wall to penetrate the pile and to restrict the flow of the dye into the fabric, many different forms of roughened surface will be suflicient to afford a practically unlform distribution of the dye and to eliminate the streaky effects resulting from the use of plain-faced type. It will be understood that the small projections from the printing surface function not only to penetrate the pile, but also to maintain a .uniform distribution of the dyestufl' essential to a uniformly colored surface.

In Figs. 4 and 5, for example, I have illustrated other forms of surface which may be used in the practice of my invention. In Fig. 4, the surface is broken up by uniformly distributed circular recesses, and it will be noted also that in this instance as well as in the 7 form of face illustrated in Fig. 5, the upper edge of this boundary line is not sharp'and knife edged as is ordinarily preferred, but ls'of an appreciable width. Also in this instance, the bounding edge does not project above the surface in which the recesses are formed; and the edge is of stepped formation affording a design more closely resembling at the edges the effect obtained in a woven pattern. In Fig. 5, the surface 1s broken up by a series of long1tudinal grooves.

A printing element having the characteristicsof that described above may be made of wood, lacquered or otherwise rendered proof against absorption of the dyestuff, or any substance of sufficient hardness and not affected by the dye. Particularly desirable results have been obtained with aluminum, and other metals may be used.

Many other types of surface may be emloyed, although the form illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 has been found particularly desirable and is preferred.

I claim: 1. A printing element for pile fabrics including an efiective rinting surface of rough texture surroun ed by a continuous bounding wall projecting beyond the outlying adjacent surfaces.

2. A printing element for pile fabrics comprising an impression surface uniformly re- 5. A printing element for pile fabrics comprising an elevated impression surface, said surface having a rough texture and being, surrounded by a continuous boundary Evall projecting above the plane of said surace.

6. A printing element for pile fabrics comprising an elevated impression surface of rough t'exture including a continuous embracing boundary wall.

7. A printing element for pile fabrics including an elevated impression surface of rough texture and having a continuous embracing boundary wall terminatin at the top in a sharp edge and projecting a ve the said roughened surface.

8. A printing element for pile fabrics including an effective printing surface rigid and of rough texture, and a continuous wall bounding and projecting beyond the plane of said surface.- 7

'9. A printing element for pile fabrics comprising an elevated rigid impression surface of uniformly rough texture including a continuous embracing boundary wall.

10. A printing element for pile fabrics including an elevated rigid impression surface having uniformly distributed thereover a plurality of pyramidal projections surrounded by a continuous boundary wall.

11. A printing element for pile fabrics comprising an impression surface having a plurality of projections adapted to provide an effective printing surface area substantially in excess of the plane area of the impression surface, and a continuous wall 10 bounding the impression surface.

ALFRED F. MoCOLLUM. 

